Og Vi Brenner
by BlackBlood1872
Summary: [AU] There's a curse in his family, one that's been dormant for generations. Until him. There's a reason he prefers Fire types and it's not what anyone expected
1. Prologue

_A preface, since I notice people are put off my this chapter: it gets better. I just had this written and felt it was a good starter since the fact revealed here is a major part of the story, but not something I wanted to keep from the readers. I could have written it for you to find out later on or throughout the story, but that's not how I wanted to do it. The story is in Nicoli's point of view, and this is something he doesn't hide from himself. So you find out now.  
So, please, give this a chance and read the next chapter. It's not that long._

* * *

_Background Check: Nicoli Jules_

I have a confession to make. One that probably doesn't come as much of a shock to any of you, but it's been a secret nonetheless.

Simply put? I'm not human.

You see, my family was cursed. My mother's family. About ten generations back, maybe eleven, my great something grandfather had an affair with the wrong woman. She was a witch and when she found out about his wife, she cursed him. The curse was specific to the males of the family – I think she might have been used by one too many men. This man, a noble in the province he was in, had a son not long after the curse was placed. He was forced to watch as his son grew and with him, his control over fire. This boy grew to have a son of his own and this son also bore an heir. All three with the same gift of fire.

Duke Micheal Graylin, in turn, married. His wife, though, was a herbalist of Celtic origin and he implored her to find a way to make it so she only bore female children. She found one. This started a line of female heirs, none of whom could inherit the curse. Eight generations later, _I_ was born.

You see where this goes, don't you? You're starting to understand my pokemon choices, aren't you Trev?

I inherited the curse from deep within my mothers past. And because of this curse, I'm not human. I never really was.

_"But what is this curse? Couldn't you just be, I don't know, a fire elementalist?"_

It's... not that simple, Serena. If it were true, over time the ability would decrease, become dormant. But it hasn't.

The witch cursed my family with demon blood. Because of the nature of this, every male to be born into this line is a pure-blooded fire demon.

So no, I'm not human. And I'm sorry I kept this from you.

* * *

_Prologue: Running Start_

When they moved to Vaniville town, Nicoli Jules was apprehensive. He didn't know anyone here, having left all his friends behind when his mother, Grace, moved them. She was a renowned Rhyhorn racer and travel was a given. This time, though, she assured him they were finally staying in one place.

Nicoli wasn't sure if he wanted to believe her. She'd said similar things in the past and, well, those obviously weren't true, were they?

He couldn't blame her though. She made an effort for him and it wasn't really her fault the racing championships and challenges made her move a lot. It wasn't her fault she was a single mother, Nicoli's father having left her before Nicoli was even born. If he wanted to, he could have stayed with his grandparents and let Grace travel by herself.

But he couldn't do that. Not only did he never want to leave his mother, he also couldn't trust himself to be in control of his powers. Fire was impulsive; it did what it wanted, even when Nicoli tried desperately to harness it. For all that it was in his veins, it didn't want to stay there. It was always trying to break free, to burst free of the coil he imagined it like inside him.

Nicoli couldn't put the burden of controlling that on anyone else. So he traveled with his mother and tried to enjoy it as best he could, even though it meant having to live knowing he'd have to pack up and leave everyone he knew at any time.

Coming to Vaniville town, and staying if he could believe his mother, would be a breath of fresh air. Nicoli could finally give in to the temptation of making friends, of forming lasting bonds that he didn't have to fear uprooting at any possible moment.

Although, coming here raised many concerns for him, despite his mother brushing them off. He didn't know what was considered _normal_. He was sure, though, that anything but a pokemon throwing fire around _wasn't_ normal. There were many things he was allowed to do now, like catch pokemon for himself now that they were settled for an indefinite amount of time, but the 'games' he played with his mother's Fletchling were something he'd have to either stop or hide.

Cassandra, while annoying with her tendency to tackle him awake, was a good companion when he was fighting to learn about the extent of his powers. He could control fire; he _was_ fire. And the Fletchling, while not being a fire type pokemon, did wonders to help him since she knew the move Ember. How, Nicoli never managed to find out. Grace had only ever given him a smirk when he asked and the mystery was forever unsolved. It was annoying. But he didn't really care, as long as she was around to trade sparks with.

It didn't help matters that, despite having had his powers _since he was born_, he couldn't control them as well as he wished he could. If his emotions ever got the better of him, Nicoli risked turning into a human sparkler, spiting fire from his fingers and, sometimes, his mouth. He hated when _that_ happened.

Luckily, that only happened rarely. It still wasn't pleasant to think about.

But moving to the Kalos region was supposed to be a new start for the family of two. While he didn't think he'd ever stop worrying about slipping up, Nicoli was going to make the best out of living in Vaniville town. Even if his mother was acting oddly and even if he knew that gaining friends would only hurt him in the long run.

He was going to try and he'd be damned if he let something like being a fire demon stop him.

* * *

_Disclaimer: I only own my copy of Pokemon Y  
_


	2. Chapter 1

_Og Vi Brenner: And We Burn_

* * *

_Chapter one_

Nicoli Jules woke with a screech, tumbling wildly from his bed. A small bird twittered at him, her version of a mocking laugh, before rocketing out of his room and down the stairs. The boy laid on the floor, breath hissing passed his teeth as he counted to ten, sparks playing at his fingertips.

Cassandra, his mother's Fletchling, had the nasty habit of dive bombing him to wake him up and, frankly, Nicoli was tired of it. He always woke frightened and his control slipped right through his fingers, _literally_. His silvery eyes landed on said fingers, watching as they spat embers that died right before they hit the carpet.

"Damn bird," he mumbled, rubbing his head as he picked himself off the floor. He headed to his mirror where a stack of clothing was sitting on the floor. He'd laid them out the night before, an act that made his nerves dim somewhat. He hadn't been able to sleep with all his worry about today, and knowing what he was going to wear had helped.

It was only a small comfort, though. As he pulled on his clothes he couldn't help the fear rising in him. Today was going to be his first day as an official pokemon trainer. It was something that both elated and completely terrified him. So many what-if's circled through his head, so many things that could go wrong. What if he didn't make any friends? What if he _did_ make friends? What if he couldn't find any fire type pokemon, or the ones out there were already caught? He didn't even know what type of pokemon he would be getting today, and if it was anything _but_ a fire type, he was screwed.

Nicoli forcibly banged his head against the wall, letting out a yelp. Shaking his head, he scowled at his reflection.

"I'll be fine," he whispered fiercely to himself, steeling his shoulders. "I have to be." Swallowing heavily, the teen left his room.

Downstairs, Nicoli stepped into chaos. He froze on the landing and watched, stunned, as his mother ran through the living room, seething at the chattering Fletchling. She was covered in small splotches of soot, her red hair a dusty grey with it. The Fletchling was flying madly through the bottom floor of the house, her lithe body easily evading the woman's clawing hands. If anything, the bird looked like it was having the time of its life, not running from its homicidal trainer.

Cassandra chirped and a glob of fire landed on the couch, charring at the fabric. Nicoli reflexively lifted and closed his hand, the fire snuffing out. If there was ever a time he was thankful he had these powers, it was when he stopped the house from burning down. His mother, Grace, noticed him then and smiled as she walked over, brushing wrinkles out of her shirt. She sent a glare at Cassandra who was preening herself on her perch before turning fully to her son.

"Good morning," she greeted. Nicoli nodded, still too jittery to trust himself to speak. Grace smiled at him knowingly, coming over to rest a hand on his head. "You'll be fine," she reassured. "You've made great progress with your abilities. I know you can keep it under control."

"But what if I can't?" he whispered. His head bowed down and he felt his mother ruffle his hair.

Grace chuckled, "You can blame it on one of your pokemon. It would help if you kept it out of its ball when you traveled. As a companion."

He nodded slowly, giving her a smile. "That could work. And it would be nice to have someone with me."

"Great. Now have some breakfast and get out of here! The professor wants to see you in Aquacorde town."

Nicoli let out a long suffering sigh, but did as he was told with a slight grin. Even with all his worry, this was going to be an adventure. And he couldn't wait.

* * *

He left the house half an hour later, his hands gripping the cloth band of his bag painfully. Vaniville was a small town, only holding maybe four houses and a little park in the center. It wasn't even a real town, he thought as he looked around. It was more of a residential section for Aquacorde town than anything. Not that he really minded; it was nicer here than the city and he liked that there weren't too many people to make a lot of noise.

He didn't have many people that he had to hide from either. As long as Cassandra was with him and he stayed in the yard, nobody here cared if there was a few too many embers flying.

Nicoli let out a big breath, loosening his grip. He could do this. He could _do_ this.

"Hello!" a very female voice greeted him and Nicoli almost jumped out of his skin. As it was, he let out a similar screech to the one he'd woken up with, turning wild eyes to the girl at the end of the walkway. She was grinning at him and bouncing on the balls of her feet. A bag was flung over her shoulder and her shorts were– he glanced away, his face heating slightly. They were _very_ short. Her shirt wasn't any better, but at least it covered her whole torso and Nicoli wondered just what this girl was doing here.

"Hello?" he responded, wandering closer against his better judgement. Nonetheless, if he wanted to leave his house today, he had to pass by her as she was standing at the only exit. Or he could jump over the wall, but he didn't quite think he was capable of that.

"I'm Shauna," she introduced, taking his hand and pumping it madly. He had to shake feeling back into it when she let go. "I heard you were going to be starting your adventure today and I thought we could team up! I'm heading out too, you know! Oh, this is going to be so much _fun_!"

Nicoli stared at the girl, blinking slowly. He was going to be stuck with _her_? As much as he wanted some friends, he wasn't sure this was what he meant.

"That's fantastic," he said finally, his voice kind of flat. Shauna didn't seem to notice, sending him a large smile before she started to dart away. After she reached the gates surrounding Vaniville, she twirled around, bouncing on the spot as she watched him.

"C'mon! The professor said he'd meet us in the next town over! Hurry, hurry!"

Acting almost in complete spite, Nicoli dragged his feet in following her, his hands stiff on his bag strap. This was_ not_ how he wanted his day to start. It wasn't even noon and he could already feel his mood plummeting. First, with his rude awakening and now with this girl. He really hoped the 'us' she mentioned included more than just him and her; otherwise, he might just scream and go back home right now. He needed to have at least a little bit of an option on who he was going to travel with.

If he had to spend weeks on end with this chick, he'd die.

Shauna chatted with him in a rather one-sided conversation the whole way to Aquacorde town. Nicoli ignored most of her words, which were just her worries about not being a good trainer or getting any friends or whatever else came into her mind. He made sure to nod or hum at the right points, but let his mind wander, eyes trailing through the leaves canopying above them.

It was the beginning of autumn and the leaves were starting to change in color, their vibrant greens giving way to yellows, oranges and reds. The air was starting to cool and for the first time in months, Nicoli felt his body relaxing. The cool air was just what he needed for his higher than normal body temperature. In his chest, he felt something like a coil start to loosen as the weather forced it to cool down. While he knew the winter months would be harder for him as his body fought to keep burning, the months leading up to that were enjoyable.

The trees gave way to an archway, the ground leading into cobblestone. Two story buildings edged the entrance and Nicoli stared at them in silence, almost disbelieving that he was here. That this was actually happening.

"C'mon!" Shauna called from further ahead, bouncing around to look at him. Nicoli started; when had she gotten so far ahead? He hadn't zoned out for that long, had he? Apparently he had and, with a burst of speed, he caught up with her.

She led him around the corner of the building on their left, passing a set of stairs that led down to the rest of the town. The courtyard they were in was filled with tables and chairs, with a few people loitering around. There were some adults on the right side of the courtyard, while the only people on the left were a small group of three chatting teenagers.

They looked up as Shauna flounced over to them, taking the seat right on the end of the table. There were only two more chairs, one opposite her and the other right next to a blonde girl dressed in red. Nicoli nervously slid into the seat next to the girl, grey eyes taking in the rest of their group.

A large boy sat next to Shauna and he was making movements with his arms, discussing... dance moves? He was animated to say the least and was almost out of his chair in excitement over whatever he was talking about. The boy next to him and across from Nicoli was small, his red hair cut in a bob. He was hunched into himself and Nicoli truly believed he was more nervous to be here than himself. He was smiling though, the antics of the large boy amusing him. Maybe those two are friends, Nicoli thought. He looked away.

The girl next to him was odd. She was pretty soft spoken and was talking to Shauna. They were probably friends too, and Nicoli wondered what that made her real personality if she could put up with the perky girl. The girl was dressed in a black top with no sleeves and a long red skirt. Her bag was the same red color and Nicoli felt compelled to nickname her 'Red'. He might actually do that, if they became friends. But she was... odd. He didn't know how, but something about her niggled at him. It was almost like he knew her, yet he was sure they'd never met before.

"Hey, nice to meetcha!" the large boy said loudly and Nicoli jumped, looking at him again. He held his hand held out and Nicoli shook it. "I'm Tierno!"

"I'm Nicoli," the teen said quietly, his eyes wide. He let go of his hand and Tierno quickly turned back to his dance moves, chatting loudly about how he was going to make a pokemon dance team. The small boy sighed and grinned a little at him.

"I'm Trevor. It _is_ nice to meet you, Nicoli," he nodded at him and Nicoli nodded back. Neither extended their hands and Nicoli turned back to the girl he didn't know.

She gave him a small smile and shook his hand. "My name's Serena. Are you excited?" she was referring to the pokemon he was supposed to be getting and Nicoli nodded slightly.

"Yeah," he gave a bit of a nervous laugh, hands gripping his bags strap again. "I can't believe this is actually happening," he admitted quietly and Serena was the only one who seemed to hear. "I've never been away from home for very long. I feel really anxious about it."

Serena leaned in closer to him, "You want to know something? So do I. But I'm not going to let that stop me." They shared a smile and Nicoli let himself relax somewhat.

"We're all going to be great friends, I know it!" Shauna announced from her seat, wriggling visibly. Nicoli wrinkled his nose slightly. Did that girl ever _settle_? Serena sighed quietly next to him and he felt like she was used to behavior like this. So, they were friends. Or, at least, had known each other before now.

"You know what would make us an even closer crew? Nicknames!" Tierno announced, still flinging his arms around. Nicoli saw Trevor duck one of them and tried not to laugh. Or sigh. He really _wasn't_ used to being around people his own age, was he? He'd forgotten how energetic teenagers were. Granted, Nicoli was usually energetic as well, but that was because the fire in his veins really perked him up. The temperature dropped and so did his energy levels. But he couldn't complain, not after five months of _constant_ energy.

"I wanna call you N-Meister," Nicoli heard and snapped his head up, narrowing his eyes at Tierno. The boy grinned at him, undaunted.

"No," he all but growled, eyes flashing. Nicoli was quick to rein in the sparks he felt burning his tongue and looked down, taking a few deep breaths. He didn't need the fire becoming visible in his eyes either. Red suddenly bleeding into silver would _not_ go unnoticed.

He heard Tierno sigh and glanced up at him. The teen had slouched back and crossed his arms, but sent him a smile when he was caught looking. Nicoli let out a huff.

"If you guys really want to give me a nickname, just go with... Nico or something," he muttered, feeling his face flare. He'd never had the friends to get a nickname before.

"I think Nico is a great nickname," Serena said. Nicoli turned a teasing smile her way.

"Oh? And what's _your_ nickname?"

Serena flushed, worrying her fingers. "I was thinking something along the lines of 'Rena'."

"Really? 'Cause I was gonna call you Red," Nicoli said nonchalantly, gaining a giggle from Shauna and a pout from Serena. He gave Shauna a smirk, "And maybe 'Giggles' for you," his eyes glinted with slightly savage humor and Serena sighed beside him.

"Be nice," she chided. Nicoli coughed, smiling apologetically at Shauna but she just laughed.

"It's fine. And true! Isn't it, _Red_?" she teased, grinning at Serena. Said girl frowned at everyone but ended up chuckling too. Shauna clapped her hands after everyone quieted down again, turning her gaze to Tierno. "Can we see the pokemon now? I want to meet my new partner!"

"I know right?" he replied, smiling widely. His eyes unfocused and they seemed to sparkle, "It was such a cool feeling when Trevs and I met our pokemon."

"You already got your pokemon?" Nicoli asked, confused. Tierno nodded but Trevor was the one who answered.

"Yes. Since there are only three of the special 'starter' pokemon, the Professor asked us what we wanted to do and Tierno and I decided to let you three have your pick of them. I just want to research all the pokemon I can, so it doesn't matter if I have some special pokemon right off. And Tierno wants his perfect dance team and none of the three pokemon really worked. Right?" he looked at Tierno and the boy nodded.

"Yep! So you guys get to choose one of these babies!" Tierno pulled out a box from under his chair and placed it in the center of the table, opening it towards Nicoli and the two girls. Three pokeballs, each with an elemental symbol just above the button, sat inside it. "There are three types here; water, fire and grass. And these are the only ones he's got, so choose wisely!"

"I call the fire type!" Nicoli said quickly, words almost rushing together. Serena frowned at him and Shauna gave a mock whine. They argued for a minute but Nicoli was steadfast in his choice, regardless of the fact that he 'hasn't met the others yet'. No matter what, he needed that type of pokemon.

"Fine," Shauna huffed, and Nicoli grabbed the pokeball with the small flame on the top of the ball. That left the grass and water type for the two girls to fight about.

Nicoli saw Serena squint at him from the corner of her eye, then lean closer to Shauna to whisper to her, grinning. A moment later and Shauna started to grin as well. Leaning back, Serena plucked the water type out of the box. Nicoli groaned and Serena smirked at him.

"What are we going to name them? I'll call mine Chester!" Shauna asked suddenly, and Nicoli noticed that she'd let the pokemon out of its ball and the little chipmunk look-a-like was sitting on her lap, staring at everything curiously.

Pushing away his nerves even though he did start biting his lip, Nicoli pushed the button in the middle of the ball, seeing red light escape it. A small fox landed on the ground next to his chair and trotted around for a moment before sitting, looking at him. Serena let her pokemon out as well, the little frog landing on the table. She sighed.

Trevor pulled out his pokedex and pointed the small electronic pad at Shauna's Chester. A tinny voice escaped the device.

_"Chespin; __the __Spiny Nut__ pokemon. __Such a thick shell of wood covers its head and back that even a direct hit from a truck wouldn't faze it. __Type: Grass.__"_

Chester turned his head towards Trevor and leaned towards him, Shauna hands holding it back. "Ches?" it muttered. Trevor sent it a small smile and turned to the frog.

_"Froakie: the Bubble Frog pokemon__. __It protects its skin by covering its body in delicate bubbles. Beneath its happy-go-lucky air, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings. __Type: Water."_

"Froak," the frog agreed severely, hoping closer to Serena, but staying on the table. She shook her head at it again. Trevor turned to the last of the three.

_"__Fennekin: the Fox pokemon. __As it walks, it munches on a twig in place of a snack. It intimidates opponents by puffing hot air out of its ears. __Type: Fire."_

The Fennekin looked towards the device and titled its head. It let out a small yip before turning away, looked steadily at Nicoli.

"What genders are they?" Nicoli asked quietly. He didn't know enough about pokemon to be able to tell and any way he thought of to check was embarrassing. Trevor smiled at him though, lifting the pokedex again.

"This can tell us. I'll just scan them again." He then preceded to do so, in the same order as he had before. The tinny voice rang out, _"Male. Male. Female."_

Tierno let out a whistle, "A _female_ starter? Hey, Trevs, aren't those really rare to come by?" Trevor nodded but didn't respond, gazing at the pokemon intently. She fidgeted and moved so she was hiding underneath Nicoli's chair. He chuckled softly at that and reached down to pet her.

Surprised by the contact, the Fennekin let out a startled yip, an ember leaping from her mouth into Nicoli's hand. Grateful his hand was hidden from view, he twisted his fingers, the ember turning around and shooting back to the fox. It pinged softly off her forehead and she froze, wide eyes looking up at him. He smiled softly and pet her again.

"What will you name her?" he heard Serena ask and looked up at her. He scratched behind the fox's ear and heard a low purr as she leaned into his hand.

"Felice sounds good," he said and the Fennekin perked up, giving him a calculating look. Then she chirped again, saying the first syllable of her technical name like the other two had.

"As in _Feliz_, the Spanish word for happy?" Trevor inquired and Nicoli nodded. With his eyes off Felice, she gave a sharp toothed grin and nipped him. He yanked his hand away with a yelp, glaring at her as she snickered. Trevor joined her. "Yes, she _sounds_ happy. I'm just not sure how long _you_ will be."

"Oh, shut up," Nicoli grumbled in response, feeling his face heat up again. Spitefully, he drew Felice back into her pokeball. _Take that_, he thought childishly.

Thankfully, none of the four others mentioned that incident over the remainder of the gathering. They chatted until well after the sunlight disappeared over the trees before finally giving up on the day. Agreeing to meet up in the same place tomorrow, the quintet broke apart, heading to their homes for one last night.

* * *

_And here's the first actual chapter. Not much happening; pretty much the same as the game with the addition of Nicoli and Felice's personalities. The twists start up next chapter._

_1.30.2015: some minor edits._


	3. Chapter 2

_Og Vi Brenner: And We Burn_

* * *

_Chapter two_

Nicoli walked slowly through the trees between Aquacorde town and Vaniville, sighing as the fading light of the evening cast shadows over the path. It wasn't so far into autumn that the nights were cold, but they were getting cooler. The drop in temperature soothed him, cooling down his natural heat. Sometimes, having fire as an intricate part of him was a bit much, especially when the summer heat bested him.

He never liked feeling like he was going to combust, especially when that was an actual possibility.

Serena followed him quietly, hands held behind her back. Nicoli had liked her immediately and knew that she was the one he'd like to travel with, out of the lot of them. She felt familiar, in a comforting way, almost like his mother did when she wasn't being overbearing. It was strange and Nicoli didn't know how Serena felt around him, so he didn't bring it up.

They were currently heading back to their homes to rest for their actual last night, since today had dragged on a lot longer than they thought it would. Nicoli was planning on introducing Serena to his mother the next morning, and meeting her father right before they left. While he felt they were both as close to reasonable adults as they could be as teenagers, he knew their parents would worry if they didn't know who they were traveling with.

The two of them entered Vaniville quietly, and nodded to each other as they split apart at the small park in the center of town.

"I'll meet you at your house at eight," Serena said, waving her fingers at him as she turned to the right and disappeared from his view. Nicoli gave her a smile and a wave just before she was out of sight, and went left to his own house.

He pushed open the door with a sigh and flopped down on the couch he'd stopped from roasting that very morning. After all the excitement of meeting those four and finally getting a pokemon, it seem so long ago. Nicoli ran his hand over the pokeball in his hand, almost feeling the little fox move inside it. The ball vibrated slightly and he smiled. Felice was excited to be starting her adventure, too.

"Nicoli!" his mothers surprised voice called from the entryway and he tilted his head over the back of the couch to look at her. She brushed her hands on her pants, coming over to sit next to him. "I didn't expect you back so soon. What, not your cup of tea?" she asked, her voice sarcastic with a bad British accent but she said it with a smile. Nicoli chuckled at her.

"No, not that. Our meeting just went too long and we all agreed to start up tomorrow instead of tonight." He looked back at the small ball in his hand and Grace finally noticed it.

"Oh!" she gasped and starting grinning at him. She reminded him of a small child like this and Nicoli had to shake his head. She leaned forward, her hands together and knees bouncing. "Let me meet them, come on!"

Biting his lip, Nicoli pressed the button on the ball and watched it burst open with a red light. Half a second later, Felice stood at his feet, glancing around the room. His mother cooed at the fox pokemon and Felice jumped at the sound, leaping into his lap. Laughing a little, Nicoli leaned over to whisper to her quietly.

"That's just my mom. She's safe," Felice sent him a small glance, settling her jaw on her paws.

_I know_, came a small voice in the back of his mind and he just stopped himself from startling. The pokemon sensed it and she sent him a smirk. _Did I scare you?_

_Yes,_ he tried to send back to her, grumbling internally. The Fennekin cackled at him and Grace leaned back. He ignored her for the moment. _I didn't know you could do this._

_You can do this with any fire type, probably, little demon,_ Felice told him and he did jump this time, shock flooding through him.

"What!?" he forwent the mysterious psychic connection to shout aloud and inadvertently inform his mother that something had happened.

"Are you okay, Nicoli?" Grace asked hesitantly, looking between the boy and his pokemon, watching her son shake like a leaf. The Fennekin sighed, turning in her spot to press her face into Nicoli's stomach. He automatically threaded a hand through her fur and stilled.

"No, I'm not," he admitted quietly, hunching over to grip his hair, "I'm even more of a freak than I thought I was." His voice was almost inaudible, but she still heard it and she whacked his head. "Hey!"

"Don't you dare say that," Grace growled at him, echoed in the back of his mind by Felice. "You are _not_ a freak, no matter _what_ you are. Human or not, you are _you_ and you are perfectly normal."

"Mom, I have a psychic connection with my pokemon. That's not normal for anyone."

Grace leaned back slightly, speechless. "What?" she eventually voiced. He nodded at her, looking at his Fennekin.

"I can hear Felice. She was talking to me, just before my outburst. She called me 'little demon'," Nicoli explained, feeling his face settle into something flat. He continued to pet her and she made little purring sounds, both in his mind and aloud. He suspected it was both a natural response and something to relax him. Against his wishes, it did help. Nicoli sighed and let his head fall back against the couch.

"Tomorrow morning, Serena's coming over to meet you," Nicoli said. "We're going to be traveling together, more with her than the other three and I thought you would want to meet her. I'm meeting her dad after."

"I think I'd like to meet him, too," Grace decided, nodding. "After Serena comes here, I'll walk you over. How's that?"

"That's okay," he agreed and stood, setting Felice on the floor and recalling her into her pokeball. "I'd better get some sleep. Good night mom."

"What about your pokemon?" she asked, gesturing to the ball in his hand. He turned it over in his hands before slipping it into his bag.

"I'll let her out when we get to Aquacorde town," he decided. Nicoli gave Grace a hug, then hopped up the stairs to his room.

* * *

The next morning Nicoli woke and felt odd. Cassandra wasn't around yet to tackle him awake and his room was oddly silent. Sunlight drifted into the room through his partially opened curtains and somewhere in the background, birds were twittering.

Nicoli groaned and rolled over to push his face into his pillow.

Yesterday almost seemed like a dream. His first pokemon was sitting in her ball in the bag by the foot of his bed. He struggled to sit up and glanced at his hand, scowling as he remembered how she'd bitten him. Happy indeed, at his own expense. He really hoped that habit didn't continue.

With a sigh, Nicoli sat up fully, slapping his cheeks. He had things to do today and couldn't just lay around sleeping, no matter how much he wanted to. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wished Cassandra had woken him. As much as he hated that, it would have woken him fully instead of setting him into this haze between sleep and waking.

Nicoli pulled on a fresh pair of clothes, making sure to stuff an extra change in his bag. Just in case something happened. Checking around his room and letting himself linger a few moments more, he grabbed a small picture frame from his desk. In it, his mother grinned at him, her arm thrown over his shoulder.

Adding it to a side pocket, he headed downstairs.

* * *

Grace waved at him from the kitchen, pointing to the table which already had a plate of food waiting for him. She was jittery, darting around the kitchen as she tried to distract herself from the fact that her only child was going to be leaving that very day. Nicoli wondered why she hadn't been this stressed yesterday and concluded that Cassandra had distracted her enough with almost setting the house on fire.

"I'll be fine, mom," he grumbled around a slice of toast, rolling his eyes when she finally sat in the chair across from him.

"I know that, I really do," she said, hands fiddling with her sleeve, "but– you're leaving on an adventure! That doesn't happen every day and you've never been on your own for so long and I just–"

"I told you," Nicoli interrupted firmly, "I'll be _fine_. And I won't really be on my own," he pointed out. "I'll have Felice and Serena with me."

"That's not the same," his mother muttered, close to pouting. Nicoli rolled his eyes.

"You don't need to hover over me all the time," he told her, then smiled softly. "I promise to write until I can fly back to visit."

She smiled back, reaching over to ruffle his hair. With a strangled complaint, he pushed her hand away, grumbling as she laughed. He went back to his breakfast, managing to finish it between dodging his mother and the newly present Cassandra.

Eventually, they all calmed and Nicoli settled back in his chair, eyes closed. He tried to relax, but the silence seemed to be enhancing the nervousness he felt, until he was almost fidgeting in his chair.

Just then, someone knocked on the door and Nicoli quickly stood. "And there's Serena," he said, wandering over and pulling open the door before she could knock again. Grace peered at the girl over his shoulder and Nicoli had to nudge her back so he could invite his friend inside.

Serena looked around the kitchen curiously, waving slightly at Cassandra before the Fletchling disappeared further into the house. Serena stood on her toes to see over the division into the living room, then joined Grace, sitting in a free chair at the table. "Cozy," she said with a small smile, hands clasped in her lap. Nicoli wondered if she was acting younger than usual or if it was normal for her to be swinging her feet as she sat.

"Thanks," he returned. Instead of sitting, he took his empty plate to the sink, then gestured between the two females when he came back. "Mom, this is Serena. Serena, this is my mom, Grace Jules," he introduced, then smirked at Serena when her eyebrows rose. "You may have heard of her."

"The famous Rhyhorn racer, Grace Jules?" Serena managed, staring at the woman with wide eyes. "I mean– I saw the Rhyhorn in the yard, but I didn't think–"

Grace wore a proud smile, leaning back in her chair. "Yup, that's me. But I'm retired now."

Nicoli looked at her in surprise. "You are?" he blinked, "But I thought– I mean, the move–"

"We didn't move here because of the racing," she told him with a sigh, rubbing a hand over her face. "It was actually... I've been trying to find someone. He lives around here, but I haven't seen him yet."

Nicoli just blinked again, sharing a glance with Serena. Who could his mother be looking for? And _he_? He didn't want to get his hopes up, but... well, his mother could just be looking for a friend, or an expert in some field, or something. There was a chance that she wasn't looking to... settle down with someone, for all that she was retired now.

Grace coughed, smiling brightly at the two of them as she changed the subject, "I know the professor mentioned other kids and starters, but I only know the one. What did you choose, Serena?"

Serena smiled, reaching into her bag to lift out her pokeball. She didn't release it though, and Nicoli remembered the frog's preference for sitting on tables. "I chose the water type, Froakie," Serena said, rolling the ball between her hands. After a moment, she returned it to her bag.

Grace smirked at Nicoli and it didn't go unnoticed by Serena. "Ah-ha. I see. A water type to counter Nicoli's fire type, huh?"

Serena shared her smirk. "Of course. Did he tell you how he didn't even discuss it with us? Just called the fire type the second we saw the pokeballs."

Nicoli flushed, sinking down in his chair. "Hey, so what if I knew what type I wanted right away?" he grumbled. Grace and Serena shared a laugh at his expense, and Nicoli was glad neither Cassandra or Felice were in the room. He was sure they would have joined the two woman.

What was it about girls and making him miserable?

"Whatever," he grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away. Serena reached over and patted his head. He swapped her hand away, aiming a scowl at her. "_Anyway_," he declared, sitting up fully and trying to bring the conversation back on track, "aren't we supposed to be going?"

Serena nodded, somewhat ruefully, and stood. She sent a smile towards Grace when she started following the two of them, figuring it would happen.

"Dad's waiting at my house, so we can go over there to meet him," Serena said, already half-way out the door and looking over her shoulder at the Jules'. Nicoli shrugged, grabbing his bag as he followed, Grace a step behind him.

Serena skipped ahead and got to her father before the other two could even leave their yard. Nicoli sighed, half annoyance, half... he wouldn't call it whimsical, but it might have been. What was it like to have a father to go to?

The man had his back to them as he chatted quietly with his daughter and Serena was grinning at him as she almost bounced. Nicoli was reminded of Shauna and could see how the two of them could have become friends. It was strange seeing Serena act like this, though. He had grown used to her being the reserved one; not quite as much as Trevor, but more than this. Many she'd act like she had before once they actually started their adventure.

As the two groups joined up and the man's voice reached them, Grace tensed. Nicoli glanced at her, confused, but she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were wide and locked on Serena's father.

"Thursten!" she gasped, her voice faint. The man whirled around to face her and almost fell over.

"Grace?"

Serena looked between them, brows furrowed. "You know each other?" she asked and her father flinched. He looked away and Grace's face turned stormy.

"Yes. We were together before he _left_ when I was pregnant," she spat and Thursten tried to chuckle. He stopped with a wince when she kicked his shin. Nicoli felt faint.

"You don't mean..." he looked at Serena and she gaped at him.

"I would imagine it's true," Grace said in a low voice, glaring at Thursten. He fidgeted.

"They are," he said and his daughter spun to gape at _him_.

"We're _what_?" she asked, her voice high, breaking in the middle of her sentence.

"You're half-siblings. Nicoli's my son."

He couldn't breathe. Something was blocking him, but he suspected it was just his throat closing up under the shock. He felt dizzy and couldn't seem to be able to look away from the man in front of them all.

You couldn't blame him for fainting. Not really. Not after _that_.

* * *

Nicoli woke in his living room, a blanket thrown over him as he lay on the couch. In the chair beside him was his mother, a book open on her lap. There were sounds coming from the kitchen and Nicoli craned his neck to try and see. That was what alerted Grace and she closed her book quickly, reaching over to help him sit up.

"Are you okay?" were her first words and Nicoli nodded, though his head still felt a bit fuzzy.

"Yeah. What time is it?" he asked, pressing at his temple. He had a headache, though it was faint.

"Only ten," she told him with a grim smile. "You were out for close to an hour. We had to bring you back here."

"So much for starting my adventure," he muttered, though he'd had plenty of adventure already. Finding out Serena was... "Where's Serena?"

"She's in the kitchen. With Thursten," her face twisted in distaste, but it smoothed out soon enough when she sighed. "He's making lunch."

"At ten?" Nicoli had to ask, even if he _was_ feeling a little hungry. Grace only nodded, her eyes moving to the entryway. Nicoli followed her gaze and saw Serena standing there with a strained smile.

"You're up," she said, coming closer. She sat gingerly on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah," he said, equally awkward and the two just looked at each other. They were siblings. Nicoli guessed that would never stop being weird. It sort of explained the odd feeling he got from her, though.

Their staring contest, as that was what it became, was interrupted by Thursten walking hesitantly into the living room, one of Grace's pink aprons hung around his neck but untied at the back.

Nicoli snorted, then ducked his head to hide it and his smile. He looked up through his hair to see Grace smiling at him, eyes glinting with some sort of savage humor. Serena was chuckling beside him and, when he looked, Thursten had crossed his arms with a pout.

"There's food on the table if you want any," he grumbled, avoiding everyone's eyes as he ducked back into the kitchen. Grace sighed again, pushing herself to her feet.

"Well, come on," she said, tapping Nicoli's arm as she passed. Serena was already moving, disappearing after her father as Nicoli pushed the blanket away and stood. He entered the kitchen to a heavily silence and rolled his eyes.

"Honestly," he murmured, taking a seat and ignoring everyone as he started eating. Thursten had made a chicken and rice dish and while it didn't look like much, Nicoli found that it was much better than anything Grace ever made him. He voiced this thought with no small amount of surprise, finally looking at the man.

Thursten rubbed his neck with pleased smile, eyes darting over to where Grace was currently pouting as she ate. "I've always been better at cooking than her," he said. "Grace was always focusing on her racing more than what she ate. I swear, before I showed up, I think she just ate whatever she could warm up in minutes."

Grace huffed. "At least I did something with my day," she shot back. "You were always hiding away in your kitchen; I don't think you ever did more than cook. How you managed to get anything else done, I'll never know!"

"That's his job, you know," Serena added and blushed when all the attention was on her. "He's one of the cooks at the restaurant in Aquacorde town." She looked at Nicoli, "You know, the one we met at yesterday?"

"Really?" Nicoli blinked, tapping his fork lightly against his plate. "I didn't... I suppose it _is_ an outdoor cafe, isn't it? I don't think I noticed."

Serena rolled her eyes with a put on sigh. "Boys," she muttered, then shook her head. "No, I don't blame you. I saw Shauna rushing you; I doubt you saw more than the tables before you joined us."

"Is she always like that?" Nicoli finally got the chance to ask, wincing slightly. Serena nodded severely.

"She is. But it shouldn't be a problem; we all have our own adventures to go on. We might not even see each other outside of chance encounters."

While Nicoli sighed in relief and Serena laughed at him, Thursten spoke up, "This is your friend Shauna we're talking about, right? I thought you liked her."

"I do," Serena said, then sighed, "but she's very... energetic."

"I see," her dad nodded, smiling slightly. Glancing over, he saw Grace watching him with narrow eyes, and quickly changed the subject, standing. "So, while I was in here, I made you two something to bring with you. I don't know when you'll get to the next town, so I thought snacks would probably be good to have, right?" That said, he grabbed a pair of cloth wrapped boxes, handing one to each teenager.

Nicoli swallowed, his chest feeling a bit warmer than usual, and fought to push it down. Just because he suddenly had a father in his life – and wasn't _that_ something? – didn't mean he could let his fire get out of control. Although, it was good to know that high emotions affected his powers.

"Thanks," he muttered, trying to force his voice away from _choked_ and more towards _embarrassed_. He wasn't sure if it worked, but no one was looking at him pityingly, so it was good enough. Searching around and finding his bag next to the couch, he placed the bento inside.

When he returned, he found Serena standing by the door, Thursten hovering and fretting over her. She rolled her eyes, nodding along with what he was saying, though Nicoli couldn't hear it clearly. Instead of trying, he headed towards his mother, where she started acting much like Thursten was.

"You have everything you need?" she asked. "Food, clothing, Felice?"

"Yes, I do," he rolled his eyes. As if he would forget his _pokemon_.

Grace leaned closer, lowering her voice so no one else could hear, "And you've got everything to help with your control?"

"I do," he nodded sharply, thinking about the various berries he had. Nicoli made sure to carry a pouch of Bluk berries with him wherever he went. The few friends he'd had before hadn't know about it, and if they had, they hadn't say anything. It must have been weird to carry only _one type_ of berry, especially when he hadn't actually been a pokemon trainer.

Now, he made sure to carry some Rawst and Aspear berries with him too, but they were in a separate pouch, his actual berry pouch, which included some of every berry used in battle. Separate from both of those bags was a pouch of Cheri, Occa and Watmel berries, for when he wanted something spicier than Bluk berries. He made sure to find some of the smaller Watmel berries, if only so he could carry them with him.

His mother's sigh was tinged with relief. "That's good. And you don't need anything else?"

"If I do, I can buy it," he told her, trying not to be annoyed. She meant well. And he _would_ have to end up buying things, even if it was only extra berries or potions or pokemon food. He'd saved up his money over the years, and Grace had given him a bundle of bills last week that he _still_ hadn't found the time to count, so he wouldn't have to worry about that. He might have to worry about how he was going to sleep, if he ended up too far from a Pokemon center or a friendly stranger, but was just thankful his bag was versatile enough that, if need be, he could clip a sleeping bag to it.

Currently, though, he was working with the fact that there were enough towns around that he could sleep indoors. Even if it meant borrowing someone's couch for the night. He'd heard rumors that the people in Kalos were willing to help out passing trainers and really hoped they were correct.

"I have my map," Nicoli reported before his mother could ask, "and my Holo Caster, and my pokedex. I've got enough pokeballs to last me and enough potions and berries for Felice. I'll be _fine_, mom."

Grace pulled back with a sigh, but smiled at her son all the same. "I know. But it's my job to worry."

"We can worry when they're gone," Thursten said as he came over, his smile just a touch weak when they turned to face him. Nicoli was vindictively pleased that he wasn't the only one feeling _off_ by this whole family revelation.

"We really _should_ be going," Serena said, still by the door and shifting impatiently. Nicoli grimaced.

"Yeah. I hope I can actually get _past_ Aquacorde this time." Because, so far, he wasn't having _any_ luck in that regard.

Serena laughed a little at his expense and he glared at her. Apparently taking that as a cue, she left the house and the rest of the group followed her. They walked until they were in front of the gates leading to Aquacorde, then stopped to say some proper goodbyes. Nicoli was swept into a hug before he could say anything and decided to just go with it instead of complain. It was probably the last one he'd get in a while.

"Remember to write or call," Grace whispered before pulling away. She was smiling but Nicoli could see nervous energy straining it. He didn't say anything. "Come home every once in a while, alright? I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. And once my pokemon learns Fly, I'll be sure to visit," he promised. Grace nodded, stepping away when Serena made her way over. Thursten hung in the background, somewhere between smiling at his daughter and eyeing Grace warily. Nicoli winced. He could tell there was going to be _words_ between them once the teens were gone, and hoped his mom wasn't too hard on the guy. Not that he didn't deserve everything she gave him.

"Well, we're off," Nicoli announced, sharing a nod with Serena before they pushed through the gates.

And so his adventure began.

* * *

_A/N: Damn. I had planned for him to get to Santalune forest, or even route 2! But they just didn't want to leave Vaniville! If the ending feels rushed that's because, well, it is. I just really wanted them out of the starter town. This is a solid 9 pages long. Damn it you guys. _

_Also, really sorry to the people who were waiting for an update (on my schedule of 'once a week, Monday') because, ha, that didn't happen. I was putting it off because I was trying to write the next chapter. I have scenes for all over the story, but none of those are before the projected chapter 7. So, it'll be another wait after this. I may update in January. Please bare with me.  
_

_1.30.2015: some minor edits._


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